SalariesWhat the occupation covers
Instruct individual students or small groups of students in academic subjects to support formal class instruction or to prepare students for standardized or admissions tests. Excludes “Postsecondary Teachers” (25-1000), “Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and Special Education Teachers” (25-2000), “Adult Basic Education, Adult Secondary Education, and English as a Second Language Instructors” (25-3011), and “Self-Enrichment Teachers” (25-3021).
Official definition from the Standard Occupational Classification, code 25-3041.
The pay range
Pay differs a lot inside one occupation, with experience, employer and place. The table shows where the lines fall.
| Share of workers | A year | A month* | A week* | An hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest 10% earn less than | $29,430 | $2,452 | $566 | $14.15 |
| Lowest 25% earn less than | $35,000 | $2,917 | $673 | $16.83 |
| Median (half earn less, half more) | $43,350 | $3,612 | $834 | $20.84 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $54,860 | $4,572 | $1,055 | $26.38 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $75,990 | $6,332 | $1,461 | $36.53 |
* Month and week are the yearly figure divided by 12 and by 52, worked out here for convenience. BLS publishes the yearly and hourly figures.
How it compares
The median for all occupations in the United States was $50,980 a year. The median for Tutors is $43,350, which is 15% lower. Among the 64 occupations of the field Educational Instruction and Library, it ranks number 60 by median pay. With 175,070 jobs, it makes up about 11 of every 10,000 jobs in the country. The average ($48,050) is well above the median, a sign that a smaller group of high earners pulls the average up.
Tutors pay by state
The highest median pay was in Wyoming ($82,290), Rhode Island ($77,850) and Massachusetts ($60,900). The lowest was in Guam ($30,410), Nevada ($30,420) and Arkansas ($30,830). The most jobs were in California (45,370), New York (12,730) and Florida (12,220). The occupation is most concentrated in California, where its share of all jobs is 2.2 times the national share.
No state matches.
| State | Jobs | Median a year | Average a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wyoming | 200 | $82,290 | $76,570 | $39.56 |
| Rhode Island | 300 | $77,850 | $75,970 | $37.43 |
| Massachusetts | 4,610 | $60,900 | $65,210 | $29.28 |
| Vermont | 130 | $53,920 | $58,580 | $25.93 |
| New Hampshire | 700 | $53,790 | $54,720 | $25.86 |
| Maryland | 4,300 | $52,810 | $64,120 | $25.39 |
| Connecticut | 3,230 | $50,350 | $55,250 | $24.21 |
| Tennessee | 3,310 | $50,280 | $52,310 | $24.17 |
| Maine | 340 | $49,880 | $51,480 | $23.98 |
| Mississippi | 1,220 | $49,610 | $53,530 | $23.85 |
| Oregon | 1,130 | $48,280 | $53,340 | $23.21 |
| Colorado | 2,500 | $47,420 | $53,380 | $22.80 |
| Georgia | 5,690 | $47,380 | $51,440 | $22.78 |
| New York | 12,730 | $47,100 | $56,540 | $22.64 |
| North Dakota | 110 | $46,190 | $45,330 | $22.21 |
| Alaska | 550 | $45,990 | $50,980 | $22.11 |
| Washington | 2,460 | $45,360 | $45,560 | $21.81 |
| California | 45,370 | $45,100 | $48,960 | $21.69 |
| Minnesota | 1,370 | $44,800 | $45,590 | $21.54 |
| West Virginia | 280 | $44,070 | $46,210 | $21.19 |
| Ohio | 5,760 | $43,610 | $48,990 | $20.97 |
| North Carolina | 5,780 | $42,390 | $45,330 | $20.38 |
| New Jersey | 5,270 | $42,270 | $51,010 | $20.32 |
| Puerto Rico | 250 | $41,890 | $56,080 | $20.14 |
| Montana | 450 | $41,380 | $42,790 | $19.89 |
| Wisconsin | 1,530 | $41,340 | $46,440 | $19.88 |
| Virginia | 4,090 | $40,750 | $53,130 | $19.59 |
| Arizona | 2,730 | $38,940 | $47,610 | $18.72 |
| South Dakota | 250 | $38,760 | $42,260 | $18.64 |
| Nebraska | 950 | $38,470 | $44,650 | $18.49 |
| Indiana | 1,770 | $38,090 | $43,420 | $18.31 |
| Illinois | 5,910 | $37,400 | $45,000 | $17.98 |
| Michigan | 6,010 | $37,380 | $42,870 | $17.97 |
| Florida | 12,220 | $37,310 | $44,870 | $17.94 |
| Iowa | 610 | $36,790 | $42,010 | $17.69 |
| New Mexico | 460 | $36,660 | $45,300 | $17.63 |
| Hawaii | 1,130 | $36,590 | $40,290 | $17.59 |
| Pennsylvania | 4,540 | $36,270 | $44,140 | $17.44 |
| Alabama | 890 | $35,500 | $35,300 | $17.07 |
| Utah | 3,150 | $35,190 | $37,650 | $16.92 |
| Idaho | 760 | $34,990 | $40,260 | $16.82 |
| Oklahoma | 1,220 | $34,510 | $37,660 | $16.59 |
| Kentucky | 780 | $34,240 | $35,550 | $16.46 |
| Kansas | 1,290 | $34,170 | $35,850 | $16.43 |
| Louisiana | 540 | $33,780 | $35,380 | $16.24 |
| Texas | 10,690 | $33,620 | $35,770 | $16.16 |
| Delaware | 590 | $33,240 | $35,800 | $15.98 |
| South Carolina | 1,510 | $33,220 | $39,940 | $15.97 |
| Missouri | 1,670 | $32,270 | $38,370 | $15.52 |
| Arkansas | 720 | $30,830 | $40,220 | $14.82 |
| Nevada | 1,070 | $30,420 | $33,990 | $14.62 |
| Guam | 30 | $30,410 | $27,970 | $14.62 |
Sorted by median pay, highest first. "Not published" means BLS did not release that figure for the state, usually because too few employers were surveyed. "$239,200 or more" is the highest value BLS reports in the state tables.
Similar occupations by pay
- Educational Instruction and Library Workers, All Other$50,890 a year
- Self-Enrichment Teachers$46,800 a year
- Library Technicians$44,580 a year
- Teaching Assistants, Postsecondary$42,910 a year
- Substitute Teachers, Short-Term$41,670 a year
- Preschool Teachers, Except Special Education$38,140 a year
Common questions
How much do Tutors earn in the United States?
The median pay was $43,350 a year in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest-paid 10% earned less than $29,430 and the highest-paid 10% more than $75,990.
How many people work as Tutors?
About 175,070 jobs in the United States in May 2025, not counting the self-employed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Checked in November 2026. Figures are for employees, before tax, and leave out overtime pay and benefits. They are official statistics, not advice or a pay offer; see bls.gov/oes for the original tables.